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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. tube — the underground
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. last — final
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. tube — a container
  8. can — to be able to
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stock — shares
  14. row — a line
  15. can — a tin
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. last — finally
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. row — to paddle
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. can — a tin
  24. stock — goods

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com